Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Spanish the fun way! (Readers nº 1) (Spanish Edition)

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Despite her young, untimely death, Mexican writer Rosario Castellanos was arguably the most influential writer to emerge from the “Generation of 1950.” This isn’t to say that you should immediately consult your dictionary every time you’re unsure about a word. Sometimes you can often figure out what a word means from context. A story that interests you. The same goes for reading in any language. If you’re not into the story or subject, you’re unlikely to see the book through to the end. This is perhaps even more important for reading in Spanish. Try to find a story that you like, or you’ll end up frustrated and bored. Can you translate that title? That’s right, The Green Star. This short story by Izar Berdea is about a man who travels to a distant town to discover the people there started acting strangely after a green star appeared in the sky one evening.

The story is in the present tense and is written clearly. It’s also accompanied by an English translation and clearly-spoken Spanish audio with a rather natural-sounding accent.For a playfully masterful tale that also explores serious topics like the evolving nature of social class by one of the Caribbean’s greatest living female writers, you can’t do much better than “ El cuento envenenado.” 15. “El Ojo Silva” by Roberto Bolaño This library of classic stories features tales from greats like Edgar Allan Poe, Raymond Carver, James Joyce and Gabriel García Márquez. The perfect place for literature lovers to get their fix in Spanish. Short stories are a great way to introduce yourself to Spanish-language literature without making such an intense commitment. This is especially important to consider if you’re past a beginner reading level but not quite advanced yet.

La luz de Lucía”is a story of a little firefly that’s struggling to light up like the rest of her family. The night comes when it’s finally her time to shine, but something gets in her way. Mufaro has two daughters: kind and considerate Nyasha and selfish and mean Manyara. The king announces that he’s looking for a wife and invites all the eligible women of the land to visit him. Mufaro decides both his daughters are great candidates for queen, but who’ll win the king’s heart? While you could choose your own elements to discuss, traditionally you’ll talk about: problem, events, solution, setting and characters. A summary of the story’s main ideas will go in the palm of the hand. There are monsters, battles, secrets and tests of endurance. The book is easy to read, although absolute beginners will likely benefit from a translation app or a good Spanish dictionary on hand. 2. “Detective Malasuerte” If you really can’t get enough of Papelucho, you can also watch the “Papelucho” animated film, “Papelucho y el marciano” (Papelucho and the martian), which was released in 2007. 21. “Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre”Controlled language at your level, including the most frequent words, to help you progress confidently Reading will also expose you to new vocabulary and grammar structures. Don’t forget to record any new vocabulary you learn as you go along, and don’t give up if there are words or even sections in any of these books you may not understand fully.

This reader is an interesting detective story in Buenos Aires (my adopted city!), which contains Argentine slang for you to learn. El ahogado más hermoso del mundo” (The Most Handsome Drowned Man in the World) is a fine example of the magical realism genre, in which fantastic elements are inserted into otherwise realistic environments. Excellent for practising your listening skills, the stories are read by native speakers from various countries so you will feel confident in any Spanish speaking country. Perfect for all levels, the speed at which the stories are read increases with each level. In addition to the exercises, the author includes vocabulary, grammar and cultural notes to give you a well-rounded understanding of each short story.

Tips for Educators

If you have a basic understanding of Spanish, try to read the story without a dictionary. If you don’t understand everything, you can read the story several times until you comprehend the meaning of it. When you understand it on your own, you will feel a sense of achievement. Try it! Full of dark humor and not-so-subtle irony, “ Míster Taylor” is a highly recommended read. Advanced Spanish Short Stories 11. “Los cuentos de Eva Luna” by Isabel Allende The cool thing about this book is that you can read one chapter daily. These chapters are so simple that you can easily finish one in a short sitting. And although this book is more expensive than others, it’s perfect for refreshing your memory if it’s been a long time since you’ve practiced Spanish. 4. “The Three Little Pigs”